San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-07-25
Apostle Of the Tules.
BRET HARrE, IN LoNGMAN's MAGAZINE.

contiguity, as the nearest settlement was
thirty miles away; 1t could not have been
for health or salubrity, as the breath OF the
ague-haunted tules in the outlying Stockton
marshes swept through the valley; II could
not have been for space or comfort for, en-
camped on an unlimited PLAIN, men and wO-
man were huddled together as closely as in
an urban tenement house, without the free
dom or decency OF rural isolation; ii could
not have been for pleasant cOmpaniOnship,
as detection. mental anxiety, tears and la
mentatiOn were the dominant expression; II
was not a hurried flight from present or i'm
pending calamity, for the camp had been
deliberately planned, and for week pioneer
wagons had been slowly arriving; ii was not
an irrevokable exodus for some had already
returned to their homes that others might
take their places. 1t was simply religious
revival of one or two denominatiOnal sects,
known as "camp-meetng."
A large central tent served for the assemb-
ling of the principal congregation; smaller
tents served for prayeT-meetings and class
rooms known to the few unbelievers as
side shows" while the actual dwellings OF
the wOrshipers were rudely extemporzed
shanties of boards and canvas, sometimes
less sky, or more often the unhftched GOV.
cred wagon which had brought them there.
The singular resemblance to circus, al
ready profanely suggested, was carried out
by q struggling fringe of boys and half
grown men on the outskirts of the encamp-
ment acrimonious with disappointed curios-
ity, lazy without the careless ease of vagran-
cy, and vicious without the excitement OF
dissipation. For the coarse poverty and
brutal economy of the larger arrangements,
the dreary panorama of unlOyely and I'M
wholesome domestic details always before
the eyes, were hardly exciting to the senses.
The circus might have been more dangerous,
but scarcely mere brutalizing. The actors
themselves, hard and aggressive through
practical struggles, often warped and twisted
with chronic forms of smaller diseases, or
malformed and crippled through careless
ness and neglect and restless and uneasy
through some vague metal distress and in
quietude, were scarcely amusing perform
ers. The rheumatic Parkinsons from Green
Springs; the opthaImic Filgees from Alder
Creek; the ague-stricken Harneys, from
Martinez Bend, and the feeble-limbed Step
tons, from Sugar Mill, might, in their com
bined families, have suggested hospital
rather than any other social assemblage.
Even their championship, which had little Of
cheerful fellowship in it, ,wsuld have been
grotesque but for the pathetic instinct of
some mutual vague appeal from the hard
ness OF their conditions that had brought
them together. Nor was this appeal to
Higher Power any the less pathetic that it
bore no reference whatever to their respect
i've needs or deficiencies but was always an
invocation for light which, when they be-
lieved they had found it, to unregenerate
eyes scarcely seemed to ilumine the rugged
path in which their feet were continually
stumbling One might have smiled at the
idea of the Notwithstanding Ferguses
praying for justification by faith" but the
actual spectacle of old Simon Fergus, whose
shotgun was still in his wagon, offering up
that appeal with streaming eyes and agon-
lied features was pal full beyond doubt.
To seek and obtain an exaltatiOn of feeling
vaguely known as lit" or less vaguely veil
ing a sacred name, was the burden of the
general appeal
The large tent had been filed, and be-
tween the exhortations a certain gloomy en-
thusasm had been kept up by singing,
which had the effect of continuing in an
easy, Thythmical, impersonal and irrespOnsi-
BILE way the symparhies of the meeting.
This was interrupted by young man who
rose suddenly with that spOntaneity of i'm
pulse which characterized the speakers, but
unlike his predecessors, he remained for
moment mute, trembling and irresolute.
The fatal hesitation seemed to check the I'M
reasoning, mOnotOnOus flow of emotion, and
to recall to some extent the reason and even
the criticism of the worshipers. He STAN
mered a prayer whose earneStness was I'M
doubted, whose humility was too apparent,
but his words fell on faculties already be-
numbed by repetition and rhythm. A slight
movement of curiosity in therear benches,
and a whisper that it was the maiden effort
of a new preacher, helped to prOlOng the in
terruptiOn. A heavy man of strong physical
expression sprang to the rescue with an hys-
terical cry of "GlOryp' and tumultuous
fuency Of epithet and sacred adjuration.
Still the meeting wavered. With one final
paroxysmal cry the powerful man threw his
arms around his nearest neighbOr and burst
into silent tears. An anxious hush followed;
the speaker still continued to sob on his
neighbours shoulder. Almost before the fact
could be commented upon it was noticed
bench beside him were crying also; the
second and third rows were speedily dis
solved into tears, until eyen the very youth
full scoffers in the lastNbenshes suddenly
found their half-hystsrical laughter turned
to sobs. The dangerw ayerted, the reac-
ton was complete; the singing was COM
menced, and in a few moments the hapless
cause Of the interruption and the man who
had retrieved the disaster stood together out
side the tent A horse was picketed near
them.
The victor was still painting from his late
eXertiOns, and was more or less diluvial in
eye and nostril, but neither eye nor nOstril
bore the slightest tremOr of other expression.
His face was stolid and perfectly in keeping
with his physique-heayy, animal and unin.
telligent
"Ye oughter trusted IN the Lord" he said
TO the young preacher.
But did," responded the young man
earnestly.
That's it. Justifyin' yourself by works
instead o. leanin' onto Him! Find Him, seq
you'll Git Him, SEE you'll Works is vain.
Gloryl gloryP he continued, with fluent
yacuity and wandering, dull observant eyes
Dut IL ndu lltle mOre Practice In claSS
Brother Silas more educationp'
THE letter killeth," interrupted Brother
Silas. Here his wandering eyes took duh
cognizance Of two female faces peering
through the opening of the tent mo, yei
mishun, Brother Gideon, is to seek him in
the by-ways, in the wildemess-where the
foxes hev holes and the ravens hev theiI
young-but not in the temples Of the people
What SEE sister ParsonsP"
One of the female faces detached itself
from the tent flaps, which it nearly resem-
bled in color, and brought forward an angu.